Defining AYUSH Practitioners’ Role: India Debates Medical Boundaries for Holistic Healthcare
India’s healthcare sector is facing a pivotal moment as the debate over the role of AYUSH practitioners—those trained in Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy—gains steam. With more than 800,000 registered AYUSH professionals and an urgent push for universal health coverage under Ayushman Bharat, the country is actively working to define how traditional systems can complement allopathic medicine while ensuring regulatory clarity and patient safety.
Currently, AYUSH practitioners are regulated by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH), both established under 2020 legislation. But the scope of their practice remains a gray area. Key questions persist: Should these professionals prescribe modern medicines? Can they perform minor surgical procedures or use allopathic diagnostics, especially in rural regions where healthcare access is limited? Legal precedents add to the complexity—while the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling affirmed AYUSH practitioners’ right to practice within their system, it left room for interpretation, and state-level regulations remain inconsistent. For example, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu allow limited allopathic prescribing after bridge courses, but other states restrict practitioners to purely traditional methods.
The Ministry of AYUSH, under Minister Prataprao Jadhav, is working to develop standardized protocols. The goal is clear: support integration without diluting quality of care. Recent parliamentary discussions have highlighted malpractice risks when practitioners operate outside their expertise, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is adamant—only MBBS doctors should perform allopathic interventions. Meanwhile, AYUSH advocates point to the country’s doctor shortage—India has just one doctor for every 834 people, below the WHO’s recommended 1:1,000 ratio. Bridge programs, such as the one-year Certificate in Community Health, aim to equip AYUSH doctors for roles in primary health centers, but questions remain about training standards and clinical preparedness.
Public discourse has intensified, particularly across social media platforms, reflecting widespread demand for clear guidelines. The integration of AYUSH into more than 150,000 Health and Wellness Centres has increased expectations for practitioners skilled in both traditional and preventive care. However, the lack of well-defined boundaries raises concerns about misdiagnosis and inappropriate drug use.
Key regulatory bodies—including NCISM, NCH, and various state health boards—are in the process of developing a unified framework, aiming for completion by December 2025. This aligns with India’s broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision for comprehensive and holistic healthcare.
In summary, the current debate is not merely regulatory—it’s foundational to India’s ambition to blend its traditional healthcare systems with modern medical standards. The outcome will determine how effectively the country can leverage its heritage while safeguarding the trust and safety of its population. Stakeholders across the spectrum recognize the urgency of establishing clear, actionable, and enforceable guidelines for AYUSH practitioners as India charts its healthcare future.
